Bill
Lobbying (Improving Government Honesty and Trust) Bill 2025
before parliament, as at 2025-09-04.
- Sponsor
- David Pocock
- Portfolio
- Not recorded
Recorded stages
- introduced — 2025-02-12
- second reading — 2025-02-12
- other — 2025-07-21
- other — 2025-07-23
- second reading — 2025-09-04
- second reading — 2025-09-04
Divisions
No divisions recorded. Most questions are decided on the voices; this does not establish that a bill was unopposed.
Plain-language summary
Written by a model from the explanatory memorandum; not the record, as at 2025-02-12.
This bill would tighten rules on who can lobby the federal government and what they must disclose.
It would expand the lobbyist register, ban unregistered lobbying, require quarterly reports of meetings, publish ministers' diaries, and extend the ban on former ministers lobbying to three years.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission would be able to investigate breaches, with penalties including fines and suspension or cancellation of registration.
- Extends the register to cover lobbyists for third parties, services firms, and in-house lobbyists for businesses and industry bodies.
- Requires lobbyists to submit quarterly returns listing meetings with MPs and advisers, including topics discussed and names of attendees.
- Bans lobbying by anyone not on the register, making it an offence.
- Compels disclosure of ownership structure, major shareholders, and client names for some lobbyists.
- Restricts gifts and hospitality from lobbyists to government representatives.
- Bans lobbying where a close relationship with the official could create a sense of obligation.
Professional lobbyists, in-house lobbyists, former ministers and senior government officials and advisers, and government representatives.
Sources
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